The best playoff series of Tony Parker’s career?

From getting benched for Speedy Claxton in the 2003 Finals to serving as Gregg Popovich’s favorite whipping boy — a role he says nearly drove him to tears — the young Frenchman paid his dues over 12 often difficult seasons.

He enjoyed plenty of great moments along the way, making All-Star teams and helping the Spurs claim three championships in what he figured would be a regular happening.

Parker found out the hard way during their recent dry spell that was not the case. He at least put that time to good use, improving his jump shot and court sense to become what some observers consider to be the best point guard in the NBA.

Parker finished behind Clippers star Chris Paul in All-NBA voting this year. But Parker makes a strong case, following up what might have been the best regular season of his career with his best postseason, the apex of which came with his recent dismantling of Memphis.

In a span of three games over six days, Parker set a career-high with 18 assists in Game 2 before finishing the Grizzlies off with a season-high 37 points in Game 4.

The latter outing capped what just might have been his best postseason series. Here are some other candidates, with points, assists, steals and turnovers per game, along with shooting percentage and the average “game score” — an efficiency measure charted at BasketballReference.com.

Parker had other series where he scored more, and shot better. But in terms of all-around excellence, coming against the second-ranked defense with a trip to the Finals at stake, it can be strongly argued that Parker was never better than the Spurs’ four-game sweep of the Grizzlies.

The series provided the latest showcase for Parker’s maturity. During the early stages of his career Parker had only one consistent option: attack the rim. He was a point guard in name only, as evidenced by the paltry assist total from his MVP performance in the 2007 Finals. Keep him out of the paint, the thinking went, and Parker’s game would eventually crumble.

But now? Albeit still a bit on the streaky side — Parker shot 6 for 20 in the 18-assist game, and 3 for 16 two outings before that — he can provide whatever the game requires. He’s no John Stockton, but he runs the pick-and-roll like a master. He’s no Steve Nash, but he can knock down mid-range shots at well above league-average rates.

Combined with an ability to get to the basket that remains elite, and Parker truly is the complete point guard.